Page 75 of The Bodyguard's Fall

“How’s the high school? Is it weird working at the same place you used to kiss girls under the bleachers?”

He laughed. “That was a long time ago, Liv. I’m extremely grown-up and mature now.”

“And how is it dating your colleague?” I couldn’t help the small laugh at the look on his face.

The faintest color tinged his cheeks, if that were even possible. “You should probably ask her.”

My eyes narrowed. “Oh, I will.”

He ended our friendly dance with one last fast twirl that made me laugh. And I went on, oblivious to a more nefarious plot underfoot.

It wasn’t even James asking me to dance that made me suspicious. Though, perhaps it should have. We had recently shared a wagon ride, though he hadn’t said more than a few words to me then. It was even less now, but the dance was friendly, and he asked me enough questions that I kept us afloat with chatter before he let me go, only to be gobbled up for another dance by Carson Price. CARSON, the attractive star football player turned town dentist.

Had being a reclusive and excessively pale hermit somehow made me grow more desirable in my absence from Autumn Ridge?

When I glanced over at Tate, I was startled to see his eyes trained on us both. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d gotten used to him watching, but this look of his seemed different than the others. My skin prickled, and I forgot the question Carson had asked me during our slow dance because my gaze kept flicking to Tate’s.

“What was that?” I asked, blinking up at him, hoping it was only the second time I’d asked him to repeat himself and not the third, like I strongly suspected.

Carson huffed out a laugh and answered my question with his statement. “I’m going to try a new question.”

“Shoot, sorry. I’m a bit scattered, I guess.”

“Understandable. I’d probably be, too, if I had a Walker staring daggers at me.” Carson squinted. “Or wait, is he staring at me?”

“Just ignore him. He’s…” I grappled with exactly what I could say.

“Jealous?” he asked, smiling.

Our dance ended before I could protest.

It was there that I began to get suspicious.

I danced with Ben, then with Luke. Was this all a ploy from Tate to keep an eye on me? Did he put all these guys up to this?

But the impish smile on Luke’s face quickly put an end to all my questions.

“What did you do?” I demanded as he spun me away from him with the skill of someone who had clearly done this before.

He grinned. “What?”

“You know what. Why do my feet hurt from dancing?”

“You’re probably out of practice.”

“Luke!” I hissed.

He pulled me in closer, nodding toward Tate, whose gaze I felt but suddenly found myself too shy to look at.

“Me, Jax, and Ben decided we’d mess with him a little tonight.”

“By having me dance with half the town?”

Luke started to smile, but I cut him off.

“He’s not jealous, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I said, wanting to hedge that particular argument in case that was where he was headed. “I already asked him to dance, and he didn’t want to.”

A tiny dimple appeared in the left corner of his cheek.